Esthetic dentistry raises intriguing questions, many of which will be
answered by nationally renowned speaker Dr. Bruce Small ('73) at the Eighth
Annual Alumni Continuing Dental Education (CDE) Program on Oct. 16.

In his program, "Predictable Esthetic Restorative Dentistry,"
Dr. Small will lead dentists through the complex potpourri of state-of-the-art
materials and techniques while highlighting essential occlusal disciplines.
A scientific evidence-based rationale for material choice will help participants
decide what to place and when. Beginning with the comprehensive exam, all
diagnostic and restorative steps will be detailed from diagnosis to insertion
of single tooth restorations to full arch implants.

Dr. Small, visiting lecturer of General and Hospital Dentistry, is a
fellow of both the International and American College of Dentists and a
Master of the Academy of General Dentistry. He is also editor of the esthetic
dentistry column in General Dentistry, the journal of the Academy of General
Dentistry.

Some of the questions Dr. Small will address
include:

Is it possible to satisfy the demand for today's esthetic procedures
within a sound occlusal framework?

By satisfying patients' requests for esthetics, is essential function
being sacrificed?

Should some of the newer techniques replace older ones?

What about direct and indirect composites and their longevity compared
with ceramic and gold? Can these new "esthetic" procedures be
used and still result in a stable occlusion? Is gold still an option? And
are articulators really needed?

What are some of the new products available?

Following the CDE program, all alumni are invited to a reception recognizing
every anniversary class and honoring the Class of 1973 upon its silver anniversary.
The 58-member class was the last to have classes in Jersey City. "We
were on four or five different floors in Jersey City, and we had to cart
around these 60- to 80-pound kits," recalls Dr. Stephen Puerini, now
a general practioner and the state of Rhode Island's sole forensic dentist."It
seemed as though one of the elevators was never working, so my wife drew
a cartoon with a skeletonized student waiting by a cobwebbed elevator."

Like other classes, the Class of '73 had a newsletter, which was edited
by Dr. Rich Mancino, and a movie produced by Dr. Richard Miranti. And there
was even a phrase sure to stir memories among class members to this day:
"The cart is leaving."

The class yearbook reflected the tenor of the times. "The '70s were
a transitional period, and the school was also immersed in transition,"
says Dr. Puerini. "It seemed appropriate to me and classmate Norman
Metz that the yearbook would be an appropriate venue to reflect some of
the associated chaos. It proved to be very controversial."

The class had only one female, Dr. Young O. Jo, but five or six class
presidents, including Dr. Thomas Paglione, now the class delegate and a
general practitioner in Hamilton, N.J. In their freshman year, he and roommate
Dr. Frank Bogdan helped out another classmate, Dr. Small, the alumni CDE
course's featured speaker. "Bruce had broken his leg, so we let him
stay with us for a few weeks. We'd help get him on the bus," says Dr.
Paglione. "Bruce's mother would later tell him, 'You would not be a
dentist if it weren't for Tom and Frank.' So now, whenever possible, we
say to Bruce, "Hey, remember what your mother told you."

Dr. Small remembers the camaraderie he enjoyed with his classmates. "I
developed some very good friendships and had a lot of fun," he says.
"Our professors encouraged us to do well, and we enjoyed good relationships
with most of them."

Learning Is Small's World,
After All

by Sheila Smith Noonan

Dr. Bruce Small ('73), a nationally known speaker on restorative dentistry,
believes in hands-on learning. Before a lecture, he's been known to shake
hands with attendees and find out what they want to learn.

"I'm committed to helping other dentists become the best dentists
they can possibly be," says Dr. Small. "I used to think, 'Well,
that's the best I can do.' But it wasn't the best, and I found I could train
myself to do better."

Dr. Small, visiting lecturer of General and Hospital Dentistry, is the
featured speaker at the Eighth Annual Alumni CDE Program this October. A
highly sought-after lecturer (he'll address five major dental meetings this
year), Dr. Small credits continuing education courses for shaping him into
the dentist and public speaker he is today. By watching leaders in the field
and developing relationships with them, his determination grew to do the
best work he could for his patients.

With 24 years of clinical practice and 12 years of lecturing behind him,
Dr. Small keeps up to date through continuing education courses, research,
and the Internet. He has a restorative dentistry practice in Lawrenceville,
N.J., that emphasizes both esthetics and gold restorations. And the learning
he does by teaching, he believes, makes him a better dentist at the chair.

Some people give back to their towns, churches, or civic groups by becoming
involved in various activities. Dr. Small says he gives back to dentistry
through his lectures. "I encourage everyone to keep learning and to
strive to do better," he says. "I've seen dentists who are bored
with the profession or have lost faith in themselves. My job is to keep
you in dentistry and to keep you happy."